Man Fired for Pot Use Plans Court Test of Medical Marijuana Law

kxtv ^

[Dakmar]

hoosier

[rb22982]

As long as they dont try to drive while on medication or operate heavy machinery I dont have a problem with it.

[HairOfTheDog]

Ecstasy and meth and crank and crack were just simply not around when I was a kid. I know they are around now.

It is not that easy to get drugs for professional adults. I wouldn't know where to start. I know it is different for kids, I used to be one. But then we grew up, and hanging in the illegal drug scene was something only losers did... so we stopped, and we started going to bars instead and getting drunk. That was OK. I could admit getting drunk to my boss tomorrow, and not be looked down upon. I think meth needs to stay in dark alleys, where only losers want to go. I do believe the law stops a lot of people, who fear the law, from using it. You can disagree, but we would have to try it to be sure.... and I am not sure trying it is smart.

[dglang]

Vicodin is actually HYDROCODONE which is an opium derivitive and it is very addictive. It is usually prescribed for mild to moderate pain. The next step up from HYDROCODONE is OXYCODONE, which is almost exactly the same as HYDROCODONE but with one additional ingredient. OXYCODONE is prescribed for moderate to severe pain.

OXYCONTIN is OXYCODONE in a time release (SR) formula. OXYCODONE itself has been in use for over twenty years for pain relief and usually comes in Instant Release (IR) formulations, sometimes in combination with ACETAMINOPHEN (TYLONEL).

PERCOCET is a combination of OXYCODONE and ACETAMINOPHEN (5mg OXYCODONE and 325 MG of ACETAMINIPHEN is one common dosage).

I am currently on 40mg of OXYCONTIN twice daily with one to three PERCOCETS (5/325mg formulation) daily as needed for breakthrough pain. I expect to be on these two medications until I die or the LORD heals me. I have severe Arthritis with several hundred bone spurs in my spine with the nerves exiting the spine being pinched by the Arthritis.

OXYCONTIN was developed as a Sustained Release (SR) version of OXYCODONE to eliminate the need to take pills every three to four hours. OXYCONTIN comes in 5mg, 10mg, 20mg, 40mg, 80mg, and 160mg formulations. Large dosages taken when one isn't used to taking OXY can result in immediate death and other complications.

The longer one is on OXY, the heaver the dose required to receive pain relief. The same is true of all opium derivatives which obviously includes VICODIN, PERCOCET, and any other formulations containing HYDROCODONE, OXYCODONE, CODEINE, or MORPHENE.

The controversy surrounding OXYCONTIN is that the drug abusers take several of the larger dosage pills finely ground up which converts them into Instant Release (IR) mode because the slow disolving coating around the OXYCODONE is destroyed by the grinding. The sudden dose obtained by grinding the OXY has been the cause of MANY deaths.

The maker of OXYCONTIN is developing a new formulation so that if the pills are crushed, another ingredient is released that counteracts the OXYCODONE which then renders it ineffective.

[Dakmar]

Then we agree. People must be responsible for their own behaviour and employers should not be allowed to second guess licensed physicians by prohibiting prescribed medications.

[hoosierskypilot]

In case you may not know, "hoosier" is a term for people in Indiana.

It came from the pioneer days, when people were typically violent and rough.

They'd get into these huge fights, and people from Indiana would bite off the opponent's ear.

After the fight was over, they'd gather all the ears in one pile.

Then they'd say, "Whoose' ear?" It was later shortened to "Hoosier." :)

[rb22982]

Ecstasy and meth and crank and crack were just simply not around when I was a kid. I know they are around now.

Ok, in the last 5 years alone Ecstacy use has gone up 500%

Plus, I didn't mention that I'd be ok with throwing those caught doing violence while on meth, etc in jail for a VERY long time. Punish the violence, not people harming just themselves.

[rb22982]

Not exactly. That would be the logical thing, I however feel that an employer can hire/fire whom they please so long as it is not breaking a contract with that employee, regardless of whether it is logical or not. The logical companies will of course make the most profit.

[rb22982]

Want to take a guess at which drug causes the most violence currently?

[Ramius]

The operative question here is: Do we want to control what people do, or do we want to control the effects on society stemming from what people do?

If someone is driving under the influence of anything, that's a problem. Or flying a plane, or driving a backhoe, or installing my cable. If someone is at home, whacked out on model glue, do I really care? Not really. If it eats his/her brain and makes them marketable as nothing but a ditch digger? Still not sure that I care. The world needs ditches from time to time, too.

To be honest, it's the people driving under the influence of stupidity that I've seen to be the biggest threat. Unfortunately we don't yet have a breath-test for that yet.

If someone commits a crime or otherwise affects someone else's life, then that can be a cause of action against them. Why not settle for that?

I'm not sure I buy the whole "stigma" argument. It's interesting, but let's apply it to a closer case: Would you feel better about someone as, say, a potential mate because they don't do drugs even when they are legal and available, or when they simply don't use them because they are illegal?

If they live in Nevada and avail themselves of prostitutes (which is legal there) does that make them somewhat more moral than someone who does it elsewhere?

Hmmm...

[Ramius]

Teenagers smoke because we tell them not to.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, we could do that now. People are ruined by meth really fast. People that would have had a future without it become psychos after it. For me it is not deserving of legal approval, whether some use it anyway or not. I am OK with having a community standard, backed up by law, on hard drugs that says, "Nope. It isn't allowed here." Use it and you are not a part of us.

If we could win half the battle by against the drug war by legalizing pot, fine. lets get it out of this discussion. It doesn't belong here. I am all for that.

[citizenK]

I have read that mj is useful in the control of pain, for certain headaches too.

[rb22982]

That's fair enough. Meth is probably the worst drug, followed by crack.

Let me explore further on this though. With your knowledge of the Constitution, where do you want meth, etc to be declared illegal. The national, state or local level?

[Ramius]

Please tell me you're kidding about that. :-)

[rb22982]

ROFLMAO!!

[HairOfTheDog]

Teenagers do drugs because they are fun and they feel good. People stop doing them because rebellion becomes uncool after 21 years old or so... Nothing sadder than the 25 year old druggie that never grew up. That is the stigma argument. What if respectable people could use cocaine in a bar? - I know a lot of people who would do it, none of which use it now.

[budwiesest]

Thanks for the historical expalantion.(I'm guessing there ain't a bit(e) of truth to it though :^). I happen to have a friend in Indiana who, while living here in CA was quite fond of the loco-weed. Since moving back he has started a couple of businesses (legit) and living large. Gets high occasionally but is too busy most of the time just making money.

[HairOfTheDog]

On the prostitution thing... it depends if morality is based on being obedient to the law, or obedient to God. If morality is the second, than it makes no difference at all. But for many, it would not be inherently immoral to "avail themselves of a prostitute" if they are not married and it were not illegal.

[Dakmar]

If we could win half the battle...

Well that's half the battle right there.